Draft-arm construction for railway-cars



E POSSONF DRAFT ARM CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.26 1919- Q5 Q Q8 kw RN mw mm U 6 SHEETSSHEET 1.

E. POSSON. DRAFT ARM CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS.

I APPLICATION FILED DEC.26. 1919.

1,399,077. Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

jizflenzar 77577655/ ZazJarQ f05607v E. POSSON. DRAFT ARM CQNSTRUCIION FOR RAILWAY CARS.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC.26. 1919- 1399977, Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E; POSSON. I DRAFT ARM CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS..

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. 1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

jz'dezifo'r ZZZJQ7"QF03507V WMM/Mi 4 Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

E. PCISSON.

DRAFT ARM CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. I919. 1,399,077, Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

272 #6725071 flzflardfosaoiv IQANII w, \m M N \Q A A @A m A QM QN N P QN w III I II I I g I 1 WM wm sm m u; 4AM I} H IQ Q x k E. POSSON. I DRAFT ARM CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CA RS.

APPLICATION FlLED-DEC-ZB. 1919. 1,399,077. Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

WNW HMMWH' IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII $5 r 3 x N I INVENTOR Y fidzfla7flfoasoiz EDWARD POSSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-ARM CONSTRUCTION FOB, RAILWAY-CARS Application filed December 26, 1919. Serial No. 347,380.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'ED'WARD Posson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of-Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Arm Construction for Railway-(Jars, of which the following is a specification.

ihis invention relates to improvements in the construction of railway cars, and its purpose is to provide an improved construction of thedraft arms and associated parts, by which the drawbar and coupler are connected to the car body.

The increase in the strength and Weight of modern freight cars during recent years and the current practice of hauling very long freight trains, made possible by the use of more powerful locomotives, have made it diflicult to maintain in serviceable condition the older and less rigidly constructed freight cars. The difliculty with the old freight cars arises largely from the draft arm construc tion by which the draft gear, yolre, and coupler are connected to the car, and it is one of the purposes of this invention to provide an improved draft arm construction which may be applied to old cars to render them serviceable and efficient for present day use, although this invention is not limited in its adaptation to old cars, and may be embodied as a rigid or integral partof the original construction of a large freight car of modern type.

Since the United States Government has assumed the control and operation of-the railways, it has designed standard cars of various types with certain parts of each type of car interchangeable with the correspond ing parts of all other types of cars. It is generally recognized that these cars, or at least parts thereof, represent the best practice at, the present time in car construotlon and it is assumed that the Government will hereafter prescribe to some extent the design of certain parts, more particularly the castings, couplers and related elements. The draft arm construction embodied in the pres ent invention is peculiarly adapted for use with these Government designed standard parts,suoh as the stop castings, dead blocks,

coupler carriers, couplers, coupler yoke and coupler keys.

An important object-ofthe-invention is to provide an efficient draft arm attachment which'may be applied to an old car to replace the draft arm devices formerly embodied therein. A further object isto provide a draft arm construction by which the draft stresses are distributed outwardly through'other longitudinal sills of the car, 111 addition to the center sills to which the draft arms are ordinarily attached, A further object is to provide a draft arm construction which is adapted to be rigidly connected, not only to the longitudinal sills, but also tothe body bolster of the car, and one which may be extended to anydesired length longitudinally of the car. A; further important feature of the invention is the provision of draft arm members,'in the form of plates which extend upwardly on the inner sides ofthe center sills and outwardly fromthe center sillsbeyond other longitudinal sills of the car. Another important feature is the provision of draft arm members which may be extended to or beyond the body bolster of the car without interfering with the usual and ordinary parts of the car structure. A further object is to provide means for connecting the truss rods to the draft arms whereby the draft arms at opposite ends of the car are tied, together and the longitudinal pulling stresses are in part converted into lifting stresses transmitted upwardly through the truss rods. Still another object is to provide improved means for supporting the coupler and drawbar from the draft arm construction. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will be pointed out more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from thefollowing specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which one embodiment is illustrated.

In the drawings- Figure 1 showsa perspective view of my improved draft arm construction appliedto a car, looking from a point in front and beneath the plane of the car and at one sid of the center line thereof; 7 I

Fig. Gshows a transverse sectional View,

taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

F ig. 7 shows a sectional view taken on the 1 line 7-. of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; 1 Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4; a

Fig. 9 isa longitudinal sectional view on the line 99 of Fig. 8; and v Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the cover plate which fits over the forward ends "of the draft plates.

The draft arm construction is illustrated in the drawings as being applied to a freight car 10 the underframe and associated parts of which are illustrated for the purpose of showin one adaptation of the present invention. The car underframe comprises end sills 11, longitudinal side sills 12, a pair of spaced apart center sills 13, and other intermediate longitudinal sills 14: and 15, which are located between the center sills and the side sills. The floor boards 16 of the car are carried by the longitudinal sills,and an end wall 17 extends upwardly from each end sill. Some distance inwardly from the end of the car there is located the body bolster 20, which is secured to the longitudinal sills and adapted torcst upon the-car truck, which is not illustrated. 5

The draft arm construction is located midway between the sides of the car, and is secured to the sills which compose theundcrframe of the car. This mechanism comprises two draft plates 21, of angular cross section, the form of which is illustrated particularly in Figs. 6 and 7 Each plate comprises a horizontally-extending part 21, which seats against the under surface of a center sill 13 and extends laterallytherefrom be neath the intermediate sills ll. Each plate also comprises an upwardly extending part 21", which seats against the innermost vertical surface of one of the center sills, and these vertical plates terminate downwardly fromthe floor boards 14 of the car in hori-v zontally extending flanges 21". 'The upwardly extending parts 21 of thedraft arm plates are secured to the center sills 13 by means of horizontally extending bolts 22, which pass through the sills and are engaged on their threaded extremities by nuts 23. The draft-arm members 21 are'also secured to the intermediate sills 1 1 bymeans of vercar the draft members are rigidly united to the horizontalflanges 2O" of the body 1301- ster by means of a series of rivets 27, so that 1 a rigid and indestructible connection is made between the draft members and the bolster of the car, as well-as between the draft members and the sills.

In the space between thecenter sills and above the body bolster the draft members 21 are spaced apart and reinforced by a plate 29, which is secured to the flanges 20 of the bolster by means of rivets 30 and provided with upwardly extending flanges 29 which are bolted or riveted to the parts 21 of the draft members and to the longitudinal sills 13. Betweenthe body bolster and the end of the car the upwardly extending'parts of the draft members are spaced apart and reinforced by one or more transverse channel members 31, which are provided with transverse flanges '31 adapted to seat against the fianges21? of the draft members, to which they are secured by means of rivets 32.

I At a point inwardly from the end of the car and adjacent the transverse frame memher 8 1, secured. to the end sill 11, the up-v wardly extending parts 21 of the draft members are notched out, or cut away, to receive the end sill of the frame, as illustrated, for example, in Fig. 1, and a cap member or cover plate 85 is mounted beneath the end sill-and the member 3 1 on the upper edges of the cut-away portions of the draft memhere, this plate being extended longitudinally beyond the end sill and being provided at its rear end with the upwardly and longitudinally extending angular part 85*, which is secured to the flanges 21 by means of rivets 36. The lateral ends of the plate 35 are bent downwardly and riveted to the parts'21 of the draft members and to the stop castings hereinafter described. The end sill is notched out, as shown at 11, to receive the plate 35and the forwardly projecting parts of the draft arms, which project beyond the en'dsill, as illustrated, for example,

in Figs. 2 and 1.

. A vertically extending plate 40 is secured to the oute'r side of the end wall of. thecar by means of bolts 4L1, and this plate is pro vided along its'lower edge with a horizontally projecting flange 10? which seats upon the horizontally projecting parts 21 of the draft'members, to which it is secured-by means of rivets 42; The central part of the plate 40 is cut away to form a rectangular notch 40 (see Figs. 8 and 10) adapted to receive the upwardly extending parts of the draft arms and'the cover plate 35, which extends through the end plate, as shown in Fig. 4.

The longitudinal truss rods 44 of'the car are carried upwardly between the center sills'13 and the intermediate sills 14, and are supported above the body bolster by means of brackets 45, which are secured to the body bolster and the plates 21 by means of rivets, 46. These truss rods are then carried in a forward direction between the sills, and pass through holes'in the end sill and through other apertures 46 in the end plate 40, where they are engaged by adjusting nuts 47, thus permitting the truss rod construction to be rigidly attached to the draft arms. The truss rods connect the draft arm construction at one end of the car with the draft arm construction at the other end and thereby prevent the draft arms from being pulled loose. A further advantage of this design is that the pulling stresses imparted to the truss rods are in part converted into lifting stresses exerted by the truss rods beneath the central parts of the car.

A pair of channel members 50 are mounted'beneath the draft members 21, with their channels directed outwardly and with their inner walls, or webs lying flush with the inner surfaces of the upwardly directed parts 21 of the draft plates. The upper flanges of the channel members 50 are secured to the draft members 21 by rivets 51. A tie bar 52 is secured to the lower flanges of the channel members 50, atthe rear end thereof, by means of bolts 53 and nuts 54. A carrying plate 55, adapted to support the draft yoke, is secured to the lower flanges of the channel members, substantially midway of their length, by means of bolts 56 and nuts 57'. Thesechannel, members thus form a rigid part of the draft arm con struction and provide means for' forming a connection with the drawbar or coupler. At the end of the car a dead block 60 is mounted in alinement with the channel members 50. This dead block comprises an upper wall or flange 60 which extends inwardly and overlaps the forward end of the cover plate 85, with its'edge engaging the plate 40. An opening 61 is provided in the forward end of the dead block to receive the drawbar or coupler 62, and this opening is bounded by the upper wall 60 lying parallel to theflange 60 and side walls 60". The lateral flanges 60 of the dead block extend outwardly from the side walls 60 and seat against the ends of the channel members and against the endsof the flanges 40 and of the draftplates 21. The side walls60 terminate attheir lower ends in the inwardly directed flanges or lugs 60", which areadapted tosupport the members 64 by which the drawbar 62 is carried. This member 64 is secured in position by means of a bolt 65, which extends transversely through the member 64 and through the side walls of the dead block, being engaged on its threaded extremity by nuts 66.

The dead block '60 is secured to the channel members 50 by means of the forward draft lugs 68, whichare secured to the side walls of the dead block by rivets 69 and to the channel members by rivets 70. The draft lugs 68 are provided at their rear ends with projecting flanges 68 which are adapt ed to engage the followers of the draft gear mechanism. Other draft lugs 71 are secured to therear ends of the channel members 50 and to the draft members 21 by means of rivets 72, and these draft lugs are provided at their forward ends with flanges 71 adapted to coact with the rear followers of the draft gear mechanism. 7

The draft yoke '25, mounted above the plate 55, isadapted to contain the usual compressible draft gear mechanism, comprising followers adapted to coact with the draft lugs 68 and 71. This yoke comprises side walls '75 at its forward end adapted to receive between them the rear end of the coupler 62. This rear end is provided with a keyway therethrough and the side walls of the yoke are provided with a keyway 7 7, and these keyways are adapted to be engaged by the key 78, having an oblong cross section. This key is inserted into the yoke and coupler by passing it through longitudinal slots 79, which are formed in both of the channel members 50 and in both of the forward draft lugs 68. After being placed in position'the key is held against accidental removal by means of an angle bar 80, which is pivoted at one end to the underside of the. draft plate 21 by means of a bracket 81 anda bolt 82. Theother end of the angle bar is detachably secured to the draft plate by a bolt or other latch member 8 and when desired this bolt may be withdrawn to, allow the bar to drop down and permit removal of thekey. The head 78 of'the key prevents its removal in the other direction.

This construction of the draft arm mechanism makes itpossible to extend it to any desired extent either laterally or longitudinally of the car, and to form a rigid connection between the draft arm construction and the body bolster, and also with other longitudinal sills of the car in addition to the center sills. T he draft arm construction also has-a rigid connection with the end sill of thecar and with the truss rods, which extend throughout the length ofthe car. The draft strains are thus distributed over a large part of the car framework, and the rigid construction of the parts overcomes all possibility of vibration or movement of the draft arm construction with respect to the car llO frame, even after long continued use. This draft arm constructlon has the furthered vantage that it is essentially simple incon struction and arrangement, so that it may be manufactured at a relatively small cost compared with that of other forms of draft arms commonly used. A further advantage of this invention is that it may be embodied in the original design of substantially any form of railway car of the types now being used, or it may be applied as a reinforcement and improvement in old cars which have broken down in operation. j

.lilthough l have shown and described one form of the invention for purposesof illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in various other forms without departing from the scope of the appended claims. v

I claim j 1. The combination in a railway car, of center sills spaced apart, other longitudinal sills located outwardly from said center sills, and draft arm plates underlying the lower edges of said center sills and said longitudinal sills and extending upwardly on he inner sides of said center sills.

2. The combination in a railway car, of center sills spaced apart, other longitudinal sills located outwardly from saidcenter sills, draft arm plates underlying the lower edges of said center sills and said longitudinal sills and extending upwardly on the inner sides of said center sills, and a. body bolster extending transversely of said sills beneath said draft arm plates.

The combination in a railway car, of center sills spaced apart, otherlongitudinal sills located outwardly from said center sills, and draft arm plates underlying the lower edges of said center sills and said longitudinal sills and extending upwardly on the inner sides of said center sills, the upwardly extending parts of said draft arm plates terminating in inwardly directed flanges.

l. The combination in a railway car, of center sills spaced apart, other longitudinal sills located outwardly from said center sills, draft arm plates underlying the lower edges of said center sills and said longitudinal sills and extending upwardly on the inner sides of said center sills, a body bolster 7 extending transversely of said sills beneath said draft arm plates, and a reinforcing member rigidly connecting the upwardly extending parts of said draft arm plates'above said bolster.

SVThe combination in a railway car, of center sills spaced apart, other longitudinal sills located outwardly from said center sills, draft arm plates underlying the lower edges of said center sills and said longitudinal sills and extending upwardly on the inner sides of said center sills, channel members secured to the underside of said draft arm and secured to said centersills and'said other 7 longitudinal sills.

7. The combination- 1n arallway car of center sills, longitudinal sills located out-' wardly from said'center sills, and a draft arm device c'omprising plates of angular cross section having parts underlying and secured to said center sills and said other longitudinal sills and extending upwardly on the inner sides of said center sills,

8. The combination in a railway car of an underframe and body bolster, and draft arm mechanism comprising flat plates extending throughout a substantial area of said underframe adjacent the end of the car and longitudinally of the car beyond'said bolster, said plates being lnterposed between said bolster and said underframe.

9. The combination in a railway car of an underframe and a body bolster, draft arm mechanism comprising flat plates extending throughout a substantial area of St1Cl'1lI1(l6I'-.

frame adjacent the end of the car and longitudinally of the. car beyond said bolster, said plates being interposed between said bolster and said underframe,and means for rigidly securing said draft arm mechanism to said underframe and to said bolster.

10. The combination in a railway carof an end sill, center sills and intermediate sills extending longitudinally from said end sill,

draft arm mechanism underlying said center sllls and intermediate sills and secured thereto, a truss rod extending longitudinally between sald center sills and sald intermedlate sills and through said end sill, and means for connecting said truss rod to said draft mechanism above the lower edge of said end sill.

11.'The combination with a car underframe comprising center ills and other longitudinal sills located outwardly from said center sills, of draft armplates underlying and secured to said center sills and said other longitudinal sills, and supplementary draftmembers secured to said p'lat'es'andex tending downwardly therefrom adjacent said center sills.

12. The combination in a railway car of an end sill, center sills extendinglongitudinally from said end sill, draft arm plates of angular cross section extending longitudinally of the ear beneath said center sills, said draftarm plates having upwardly extending parts located on the inner sides of said cen ter sills, said upwardly extending parts being partially cut away at the forward end of the car to receive said end sill, and a cap member mounted over the cut-away portions of said draft arm plates and secured thereto.

18. The combination in a railway car of an end sill, center sills extending longitudinally from said end sill, draft arm plates of angular cross section extending longitudinally of the car beneath said center sills, said draft arm plates having upwardly extending parts located on the inner sides of said centersills, said upwardly extending parts being partially cut away at the forward end of the car to receive said end sill, a cap member mounted over the cut-away parts of said draft arm plates, said cap member having downwardly extending flanges adapted to seat against the upwardly extending parts of said draft arm plates, stop castings seated against the inner sides of the upwardly extending parts of said draft arm plates, and means for imultaneously securing said stop castings and said flanges to said draft arm plates.

14. The combination in a railway car of an end sill, center sills extending longitudinally from said end sill, draft arm plates of angular cross section extending longitudinally of the car beneath said center sills, said draft arm plates having upwardly extending parts located on the inner sides of said center sills, said upwardly extending parts being partially cut away at the forward end of the car to receive said end sill, a cap member mounted over the cut-away parts of said draft arm plates, said cap member having downwardly extending flanges adapted to seat against the upwardly extending parts of said draft arm plates, stop castings seated against the inner sides of the upwardly extending parts of said draft arm plates, means for simultaneously securing said stop castings and said flanges to said draft arm plates, supplementary draft members secured to said draft arm plates and extending downwardly therefrom, and means for securing said supplementary draft members to said stop castings. y

15. The combination in a railway car of an end sill, center sills extending longitudinally from said end sill, draft arm plates of the car to receive said end sill, a cap member mounted over the cut-away portions of said draft arm plates and secured thereto, and an upwardly extending plate located on the outer side of said end sill and secured to said draft arm plates, said upwardly extending plate being cut away to receive the upwardly extending parts of said draft/arm plates, said cap member being adapted to extend outwardly through said end sill and through the cut-away part of said upwardly extending plate. e

17. The combination in a railway car of an end sill, center sills extending longitudinally from said end sill, draft arm plates of angular cross section extending longi tudinally of the car beneath said center sills, said draft arm plates having upwardly extending parts located on the inner sides of said center sills, said upwardly extending parts being partially cut away at the forward end of the car to receive said end sill, a cap member mounted over the cut-away portions of said draft arm plates and secured thereto, an upwardly extending plate located on the outer side of said end sill and secured to said draft arm plates, said upwardly extending plate being cut away to receive the upwardly extending parts of said draft arm plates, said cap member being adapted to extend outwardly through said end sill and through the cut away part of said upwardly extending plate, and a dead block secured to said draft arm plates and having a part overlying the projecting end of said cap member.

18. The combination in a railway car of an end sill, center sills extending longitudinally from said end sill, draft arm plates of angular cross section extending longitudinally of the car beneath said center sills, said draft arm plates having upwardly extending parts located on the inner sides of said center sills, said upwardly extending parts being partially cut away at'the forward end of the car to receive said end sill, a cap member mounted over the cut-away portions of said draft arm plates and secured thereto, an upwardly'extending plate located on the outer side of said end sill and secured to said draft arm plates, said upwardly extending plate being cut away to receive the upwardly extending parts of said draft arm plates, said cap member being adapted to extend outwardly through said end sill and through the cut-away part of said upwardly extending plate, a dead block secured to said draft arm plates and having a part overlying the projecting end of said cap member, and truss rods extending through said end sill and connected to said upwardly extending plate above said dead 10 block.

- In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

EDWARD POSSON. 

